Industry News
Fines following forklift fatality
A total of $297,000 in fines has been imposed by the NSW Industrial Relations Commission sitting in Court Session following a forklift fatality at a Sydney warehouse.
[ + ]Misconduct complaints
In a clear warning to employers that they must take action on all complaints of misconduct, the NSW Supreme Court has found two companies liable for damages to a worker who was subjected to five years of abuse by his manager.
[ + ]Tougher fireworks laws required
The NSW govenment should introduce legislation to regulate the production of fireworks, the NSW coroner recommended recently.
[ + ]Glassmaker found guilty
A$310,000 fine imposed recently after a November 2001 workplace fatality at Dandenong is one of the highest yet imposed in Victoria.
[ + ]Score-celebration injuries among soccer players
In one of the most popular sports worldwide, extensive attention is given to the 'trademark' score celebrations performed by professional top-level soccer players.
[ + ]Automation safety workshops
Many engineers, technicians, electricians, designers and even operators will be forced to change the way they work in order to comply with the revised standard for machine guarding due for release shortly. The new standard, which will replace the current AS 4024.1, requires anyone involved in the design or modification of plant to verify that their designs or changes are safe.
[ + ]Untangling the security networks
Australian scientists have solved a problem that has had the world's safety and security industries tied up in knots - how to watch hundreds of security cameras at the same time, using them to spot trouble and track offenders.
[ + ]NSW work deaths down
According to the NSW state government, the death rate among workers in the state is at a record 20-year low.
[ + ]Pig flu claims its first victims
The death toll from infection with a bacteria commonly found in pigs has reportedly risen to at least 24, with 21 people in critical condition and nearly 40 new cases in south western China's Sichuan province.
[ + ]Safety for teleworkers
Telework New Zealand has released a guide to occupational safety and health for teleworkers. The guide identifies risks and problems that telework-ers working at home could face. It provides a work sheet to help teleworkers identify problem areas. The guide also provides considerable information on ways in which risks can be minimised and avoided.
[ + ]Penalty for workers comp fraud
A St Mary's company, Top Value Furniture Pty Ltd, and its sole director, Frans Lourens Poppeliers, has been found guilty of workers compensation fraud.
[ + ]Hearing loss starts early in construction work
A new study shows construction workers begin sustaining long-term hearing damage in their first three years of work.
[ + ]New workcover ombudsman
The Victorian state government will establish a WorkCover Ombudsman to handle WorkCover and TAC complaints, the latest move in a series of historic reforms to the accident compensation sector in Victoria.
[ + ]New codes of practice and a guidance note for asbestos
The National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) has declared a revised Code of Practice for the Safe Removal of Asbestos 2nd Edition [NOHSC: 2002 (2005)] and a new Code of Practice for the Management and Control of Asbestos in Workplaces [NOHSC:2018 (2005)].
[ + ]Abattoir succeeds in limiting OHS charge
Major NSW abattoir group Rockdale Beef has succeeded in limiting the types of offences NSW WorkCover can charge it with.
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